BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
WARFIELD — Residents of Riverside Apartments in Warfield have an additional month to secure deposits for water, sewer and electricity accounts. The Martin County Housing Authority Board met June 14 at Riverside and agreed to extend the deadline, responding to a request from Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty.
The decision to give residents temporary relief follows a board resolution and an April 23 notice from Winterwood, the Lexington-based property management company overseeing the apartments. The notice, citing “excessive utility consumption by the tenants,” told residents to establish utility services in their names by June 15 or face eviction. Winterwood invited residents to address their concerns in a public meeting May 10 but noted the resolution would not change.
Eric Mills, representing Judge Lafferty, attended the hearing and was present at the meeting last week. Mills emphasized the judge’s concern and requested the board extend the deadline.
“He doesn’t want anyone evicted over a utility deposit and has challenged the board to find a way around that and the best way to deal with it,” Mills said. “He has asked that we put a pause on this and that we don’t evict anyone…We will not pursue eviction toward anyone who does not have their deposit in place by June 15.”
The public meeting in May brought to light the issues with the deposits required by the utility companies.
“After having the public meeting, which did what public meetings are supposed to do – give people a chance to offer feedback and their comments, we recognized that we’ve got some more work to do,” admitted Mills.
However, Mills added that residents will still have to take action, and the board must work diligently to find a feasible resolution before the next monthly meeting July 12.
“Judge Lafferty does not want anybody hurt or harmed by this and has challenged the board to find the best solution to help folks,” added Mills. “Some folks may need a little extra help, and we’ll try to figure out how to do that.”
Housing board members Marlena Slone, Willa Thompson and Dwayne Mills agreed to set the new deadline as July 15.
Financial woes
Riverside Apartments, located at 2600 Hode Road, receives subsidies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for its 48 apartments. The HUD utility allotment for each unit varies based on size, with $221 for a 2-bedroom apartment, $268 for a 3-bedroom, and $303 for a 4-bedroom.
Under the new plan, utility allotments will be first applied to rent payments. For example, if a tenant pays $50 for a 2-bedroom apartment, that amount will be deducted from the $221 utility allotment. The tenant will then receive a $171 check to cover water, sewer and electricity bills. However, if a tenant pays $400 for a 2-bedroom apartment, they will owe $179 for rent and be responsible for paying their utility bills separately.
Eric Mills highlighted the positive impact of the residents who established their utility accounts since the May 10 public hearing, noting a decrease in utility costs from $14,554 in April to $11,678 in May.
“We have begun to see the benefit of having folks manage their utilities a little bit,” he said. “That has helped in some cost saving.”
Winterwood presented a May 31 financial report reflecting the year-to-date electricity cost reached $69,987 in May, leaving $6,676 in the annual electricity budget. Water and sewer year-to-date cost reached $56,738 in May, putting the annual water and sewer budget at a $74 deficit.
The May bill for water and sewer service was $8,755 and included a $750 monthly sewer surcharge imposed by the Martin County Sanitation Board last summer for grinder pump maintenance.
As for small revenues, Winterwood showed zero income from the laundromat and vending machines, which brought in a few hundred dollars a month in years past. Residents report the laundromat is still operating, and vending machines “have been long gone.”
Mills acknowledged that Riverside Apartments is currently operating at a loss.
“It doesn’t take long to realize how that is not sustainable,” said Mills. “That’s why we’re having the tough conversations that we are.”
While HUD eligibility fluctuates monthly, following a May true-up, the data shows the housing authority’s subsidy eligibility for 2023 is $345,017. That amount includes a $224,168 utility expense, which is $100,000 more than the utility expenses listed in 2022.
HUD also reports the housing authority has a capital fund allocation of $144,648 for 2023.
Riverside Apartments saw a slight decline in occupancy, with the HUD occupancy report indicating 100% in April, 97.88% in May, and 91.3% as of June 16.
The board also discussed the issue of security. Winterwood manager Jennifer Amburgey announced Modern Systems submitted a $28,000 quote for a security camera system. Mills requested a copy of the quote, while Dwayne Mills said a diagram detailing the camera placement would be helpful.
Dwayne Mills also mentioned that volunteers from Appalachia Reach Out worked on repairs at Riverside the previous week. Eric Mills expressed gratitude for ARO’s efforts, acknowledging residents’ challenging conditions and emphasizing the need for aggressive action.
“It’s not your all’s fault,” he told the residents. “[Judge Lafferty] is deeply troubled by it. There’s more that we will begin to talk about, but it’s clear that these problems did not happen overnight, and there will not be an overnight solution… We’ll take it one step at a time.”
Residents comment
Several residents took the opportunity to raise maintenance concerns and the need for timely notice before inspections. Winterwood representatives assured residents they would give the appropriate notices and address maintenance issues.
Residents reported loose and leaking bathroom fixtures. One resident said her window was supposed to be fixed two months ago.
“That’s where my utilities are going out,” she said. “My bathroom ceiling is falling in, my carpet is coming up and is a tripping hazard… My stairs are sagging and about to sink through. I have a lot of maintenance issues. That’s why I was kind of furious when I learned that we had to pay overages and get these deposits in. How can I afford to pay overages back two months on that? Even if I had utilities in my name today, I would still have two months of overages to pay.”
The resident said she understands the situation with the housing authority not having money to make repairs but feels each person’s situation should be uniquely addressed.
Amburgey said Winterwood was expecting HUD drawdown funds, and she and Stapleton would visit the apartment and get a list of all issues.
Slone asked the resident if she could cover the window with plastic.
“It would be a fire hazard,” the resident replied. “We’re not to put anything in front of it. They came and put painter’s tape around it, but then it’s not operational. It gets hot, and I also have mold in the wall by the heater, so you don’t want just to close it all off.”
Another resident reported needing a new window after a deer crashed through hers.
Eric Mills invited the residents to share pictures of their issues to help the board better understand the condition of the apartments.
“We’re not trying to get in anybody’s business, but we would really like to see what is going on,” he said.
Lajeana Parsons reported her upstairs bathroom leaks and has a hole cut through the first-floor ceiling.
“It’s constantly leaking if we use the tub,” Parsons said, adding that if she turns the water on in her sink, it backs up in her neighbor’s apartment.
Two gentlemen told the board they could not get utility accounts in their names.
“That’s the only problem I have is I can’t get stuff in my name,” one said.
Residents mentioned standing water creating a mosquito-breeding ground and clogged gutters flooding in front of doorways and running inside the apartments.
Sundy Costa questioned the board about following regulations concerning rental contracts. She also mentioned the limited affordable housing options in the area.
“These people are on government housing,” Costa said. “They signed a contract with government housing, and you guys signed a contract with government housing that they paid a certain amount. That, in my belief, cannot be changed unless it goes through the proper channels. It doesn’t seem right what has been going on… These people are terrified they’re going to be kicked on their butts, and there’s nowhere else to go.”